


To Be Won

by loquaciouslass



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Flirting, Sexual References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 20:11:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16939890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loquaciouslass/pseuds/loquaciouslass
Summary: Tiso, Godtamer, and a conversation about some of Hallownest’s steamier battlegrounds.





	To Be Won

 

The roar of the crowd was the loudest thing in all of Hallownest, as far as Tiso was concerned. It pounded in his head outside of battle, pushing his blood harder than his heart ever could, forcing him ever onwards. He trained to its rhythm and slept when the thrum would die down, in the rare hours the colosseum’s crowd dispersed to indulge their other vices. Sometimes the fools would follow.

Plenty of warriors had vanished with the crowd, that night. Downstairs was deserted except for Tiso. He couldn’t say he minded. There were plenty of fine fighters among the fools, but none of them made for sparkling conversation- and honestly, Tiso liked it that way. There was no point in small talk when they’d meet their end at the edge of his shield.

The roar was quiet as he polished its edge. Tomorrow would be another sort of challenge, as the bugs came back drunk or hungover. The little fool would squeak in vain that there were _rules_ , even as the fighters descended into a brawl. Blood everywhere, like infection bursting from its cysts, sweet orange fluid clouding Tiso’s vision and driving him into a hot-blooded frenzy-

“What are you still doing here?”

He shot up, shield bared, only to see the Godtamer. She was squinting at him.

“I could ask you that too. I don’t want to spend time with dead bugs walking.”

“You’re so pretentious.” She rolled her eyes and strolled in like he hadn’t just threatened her, an arm’s length away. “Anyway, you didn’t answer my question. Why are you still here? Everyone else has gone to the city for some fun at the Pleasure House.”

Tiso snorted and sat back down. The blades spreading out had shown off some new edges that needed care. He grabbed the cloth again, eyes focused on his work.

“A real warrior doesn’t need that sort of nonsense.”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“It’s a distraction,” he said, shifting a little as she stepped closer, “the flesh I want is carved apart in a fight.” He looked up at her. Her antenna twitched. Her face was started to curl into a smile. Tiso frowned. “And what about you? We don’t see you down here very often, Godtamer.”

The smile crept up on her face like a weaver in Deepnest, just as unnerving. She slid onto the bench next to Tiso, foot grazing against his leg. His hair stood on end.

“I don’t _pay_ for my fun,” She said, slowly, dragging her foot up, “I prefer to _win_ it.”

Tiso froze.

“Paying for fun is for bugs that can’t conquer a challenge and _win_ it.” She dropped her hand over his shoulder. “What’s the fun in going to the Pleasure House for someone to pretend to fawn over you, hmm? I actually agree with you, you know,” she said, drawing out the vowels and pushing his face towards hers, “a real warrior doesn’t need the _Pleasure House_.”

Her head met his, antenna tickling his hood. She was looking into his eyes, cheeks puffed up with a grin.

“Years ago,” she said, one hand running up his leg and the other one resting on his face, “there were hundreds of tournaments in Hallownest. Ones run by the King to test his knights. Ones run by the nobles to prove how powerful their geo was. And of course, ones like the colosseum- ones run outside the Kingdom’s rule for bugs to run wild.”

Tiso gulped. “What are you prattling on about?”

She shushed him and continued, “There used to be more prizes than just _geo_ here. You could win beasts of burden or luxuries that even the Pale King would have trouble finding. But you know what the most popular prizes were, _Tiso?_ ”

She pushed his hood down and their antenna tangled together.

“ _Bugs_.” She whispered, “You could win the bugs you conquered in battle, if they were willing to put that much on the line.” Godtamer ran her thumb over his mouth. Tiso shivered. “Can you imagine that? Risking your freedom to conquer or be conquered? Wouldn’t that be so much sweeter than going to a hot-spring for a fifteen-minute romp?”

“I…”

Suddenly, she was leaning back. Tiso blinked and there was nothing but a cold void where she had been, like the past five minutes hadn’t happened.

His belly rolled at the loss of her heat. She was smiling at him, casually.

“You would have made a great prize.”

A rock dropped in his stomach and he shot up, backing away, shield out. She laughed.

“What?!”

“What? You would have! A _real_ warrior gives it all, don’t they? What could be more exciting than knowing you’d be beholden to someone else if you didn’t give it your absolute all?”

“You- I- you’re trying to goad me into something, aren’t you?!”

The smile crept from casual to dangerous and hungry in the slow seconds of her silence.

“There’s no one in the colosseum now. And like I said- I don’t _pay_ for fun, Tiso.”

There was no roar from the crowd now. There was nothing but the heavy promise in her voice. Tiso’s heart pounded.

“And what if I don’t want to win you?”

She chuckled.

“Then I’d call you a liar. Or maybe, I’d ask if you wanted to be won.”

He froze. To be won. What would she do if she won?

He’d seen the Godtamer fight. He saw the way she cleaved through her foes and sent her beast smashing through fools like plants to be pruned. Would she treat him like that? Like a child given a toy to tear apart? Force him to his limits until he finally broke, discarded like the rest of the fools?

Or maybe…

“Well, Tiso?” The way she said his name cut through his core and dragged him out of his daydream. “Are you coming?”

He flushed, and the words caught in his throat as he watched Godtamer stand up. Her hips swayed.

And even if he couldn’t say the words, he followed her anyway.

**Author's Note:**

> And then Godtamer banged Tiso until he saw stars and they lived sexily ever after, the end.


End file.
